Today’s posting concerning an Scranton Times-Leader editorial, caused me to recall a pleasant occurrence from the past.
An application for a variance under the zoning code had been filed to establish a methadone clinic in a township outside of Wilkes-Barre. The local Citizens Voice, a sister publication to the Scranton Times-Leader , had been critical in its coverage of the application.
At my suggestion, my brother Joseph reached out to the CEO / Chair / de facto owner of both newspapers (along with much else in the Scranton area) to gain me an appointment. They knew each other through the radio industry.
I brought along an authority, likely Professor Ernest Drucker, Ph. D, and we explained the purpose and benefits of a methadone clinic. We supplied him with reports from prestigious journals. This was a revelation to the CEO. The Citizens Voice soon editorially supported the clinic, which was approved, and both newspapers have been progressive on issues of drug use ever since.
This was but one of several such experiences, including the launching of a research program that experimented with distribution of methadone through a pharmacy (Ganse) in Lancaster. To our surprise, the program received support from one of the most socially conservative influences in the county.
The War on Drugs is a mile wide and a quarter inch thick. Once open minded people are given accurate information, they readily reverse course.
It is highly rewarding in old age to see so many things come about for which one has worked. Many die beforehand. Particularly in mind are the brave judges who struggled against the MInimum Sentencing and Sentencing Guidelines requirements that were imposed upon them to their pain and horror. (Some resigned; some refused to take drug cases.)
Their voices from the past are only now beginning to resonate.
